


Imperfection

by Kyuu333



Series: Borderlands AU [2]
Category: Borderlands, Gintama
Genre: Ableism, Aggressive Business Deals, Guns, I'll add more tags when I add chapters?? so please check back then, M/M, Major Character Injury, Minor Character Death, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, a little bit, i don't know how to use these tags, well the injury already happened
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-17
Updated: 2017-07-13
Packaged: 2018-07-24 15:28:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7513498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyuu333/pseuds/Kyuu333
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When you're faced with a tough business deal, sometimes you have to take drastic measures.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If you came here after reading Stars Shine Closer to Heaven chapter 5, welcome to the unlocked side story!! If you haven't read Stars yet, I recommend that you read up to at least chapter 5 for context before tackling this fic.
> 
> The setting here is in the dark and distant future so there are quite a few spoilers here, some of which haven't even been covered in Stars yet. So, if you're comfortable with all that, let's get into it!

“Stay close,” the informant warned in a hushed voice, turning her head twice to look behind both of her shoulders to make sure that her two clients were keeping up. The trio walked amid a crowd headed down the brick road. For a large group of people outside in broad daylight, no one spoke above a whisper, everyone keeping to their own little circles. Some glanced at the group of three but said nothing to them, timidly staying away.

“The execution is soon,” the informant spoke again, falling back ever so slightly to walk in step with the other two after taking one last cautious look around. “After that, we may be able to request an audience.” She hesitated, turning to the tall man on her left. “Sakamoto-san…just what is your plan after meeting with the shogun? No matter what you say to him, he’ll always have his way. Trying to strike up a business deal with him will only end in grief.”

Tatsuma didn’t seem bothered by her words, giving a small smile back. “No worries! We ain’t gonna give up until he agrees to our terms. We’ll get him, one way or another.”

The informant paused, then threw a pleading look to the woman on her right. “Mutsu-san, _please_ tell me you have a plan. Your boss is going to get you both killed.”

“Am not! My plan’s foolproof,” Tatsuma objected with a pout. Mutsu just gave him a weary look before speaking to both of her companions.

“These negotiations’re drastically different from usual. We can’t go with our usual method, so we’ll have to play it smart, _Sakamoto_ ,” she emphasized, giving the man a glare. “I’ll do the talkin’ and keep him busy—meanwhile, _you_ should excuse yerself to the bathroom and quickly go snoopin’ fer anything incriminatin’ to hold against him. He doesn’t play by the rules, so we shouldn’t, either.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if _you_ did the snoopin’, Mutsu? Yer littler and ya take longer in the bathroom than I do,” Tatsuma noted. “It’d be less suspicious, don’cha think?”

“I don’t trust your lack of tact,” Mutsu muttered with a nonchalant frown. “The minute ya open yer mouth with this one, we’ll be screwed all to hell.” Tatsuma’s face fell.

“Mutsu!! How could ya?! Whatever happened to the trust in this team, huh?!”

“Watch your volume!!” Mutsu hissed back. “I have a bad feeling…on top of everythin’, we heard that the shogun ain’t fond of Vault Hunters. He might assume the worst the moment he sees ya. And best case scenario…he’ll think yer a plain old bandit and probably kill you. Maybe ya shouldn’t even go through the front door…”

Tatsuma scoffed at the ridiculousness of her words. “Ya gotta be kiddin’!” He gestured to himself. “And just what part of me do ya figure screams ‘Vault Hunter’?!” Mutsu gave him a flat look and pointed immediately at his metal prosthetic arm. He blinked down at it as if seeing it for the first time. “That’s…an illusion.”

“Look, just let me handle the talkin’,” Mutsu sighed after rolling her eyes. “ _You_ find a way to sneak off without bein’ seen.”

“I don’t know about this,” their informant murmured, looking between the two merchants with concern. “Even with your haggling skills, Mutsu-san, trying to stall for time would be difficult. It’s over when the shogun loses patience. And that happens…every time he has a business meeting.” She gave a resigned huff, her gaze turning weary. “I’ve warned many a merchant about how impatient he is. But despite that, they always underestimate my words and get screwed over as a result. So I highly advise that you think of a new way to do this negotiation, and fast.” Tatsuma and Mutsu exchanged a look, but before either of them could speak again, the informant touched both of them on the arm. “We’re here.”

Looking up, Tatsuma realized that they were indeed standing on one side of the circular plaza, right in front of a large fountain at the edge of the crowd. Up ahead was an execution platform—a block of metal that seemed like a permanent fixture in the plaza, despite how out of place it appeared. Beyond the platform was a long concrete bridge, leading to the closed fortified gates of a large castle that loomed several stories above. In front of the gates was a red holographic screen—a barrier, no doubt, to discourage any unauthorized entry. Tatsuma had seen several of these before, including on his home planet. It was assumed that this one had the same function of disintegrating any person or object that violated the security check.

It was a beautiful, clear day in this country, but all the nervous energy from the crowd and the ominous vibe of the chopping block made the view difficult to focus on. The whispers were beginning to die down, and the crowd seemed to shrink into itself, everyone backing into each other anxiously as if each individual was searching for some sort of support to lean on. However, all became silent and still once the loud sound of a siren pulsed on and off. Taking this chance to drown out her own voice, the informant’s fingers curled against her two clients’ arms to get their attention.

“We’ll be broadcasted in just a moment. Stay low. Do _not_ stand out,” she whispered urgently. The two women both gave Tatsuma a pointed look. He blinked in confusion until the informant tugged down on his arm. Oh, right. With a little huff, the Vault Hunter crouched slightly, making sure that his head wasn’t poking above the crowd as usual.

With the siren, a new sound followed—something along the lines of grinding metal. Raising his height back up just a little to see over all the heads in front of him, Tatsuma saw that the red barrier in front of the castle had dropped, and that the gate was slowly cracking open. A row of people was revealed, all clad in restraints around their arms and legs and chained together. Behind them stood three guards, each with a holstered gun at their hip—one stood at the midpoint of the bridge’s width and the other two on either edge. They prodded the prisoners with their spear-like weapons once the gate had completely opened, and the row reluctantly stumbled forward.

Tatsuma would’ve continued to watch their approach, but the informant tugged him down again and he reluctantly resumed his crouch. The crowd was fidgeting now. Tatsuma looked to study them instead, and saw that some people had tensed up. There was a man with both hands balled into fists, his jaw working; an older woman praying with tears in her eyes; a family, parents and a small boy, with both adults holding their child’s hands tightly. A dreadful feeling pooled in the Vault Hunter’s stomach.

It felt like an eternity, but at last the prisoners came into view as they filed onto the platform. Some were calm and stone-faced but a majority of them were shaking, with their eyes wide and darting all over the place. One appeared to be a young girl—she was barely walking on her own, instead being mostly dragged along by the connecting chains. She was sobbing, tears flowing freely from her tightly shut eyes. “Please…I-I didn’t do a-anything,” she was whimpering. But the only response she got was a guard jabbing her in the side with his stick, and she cried out, terrified, cringing into herself.

Watching the girl, Tatsuma suddenly felt lightheaded; his chest tightened, the weight in his stomach feeling like a poison beginning to infect him from the inside out. His heart was hammering in his chest, and his wide eyes couldn’t look away from the numbing scene in front of him. He wanted to throw up, shoulders twitching as he resisted the urge to dry heave. Black spots were dotting his blurring vision and he found himself unable to move. The girl’s cries were ringing in his ears and he was going to throw up. His heart was about to burst out of his chest. He couldn’t move. His mind had shut down. The girl was crying, and he just wanted this to stop, he wanted it to stop stop stop _stop no nO PLEASE STOP—_

A hand grabbed onto his left arm and he flinched hard. “ _Breathe_ ,” Mutsu whispered in his ear—he definitely hadn’t noticed her when she’d hastily moved over to his side. “Yer alright, I’ve got ya. Just breathe.” Tatsuma listened without hesitation, taking in a hurried gasp of air, and realized that he’d been completely holding his breath. He tore his gaze away from the scene in front and forced himself to look at Mutsu, staring into her calm amber eyes. The woman placed another comforting hand on his shoulder blade and Tatsuma felt himself start to relax, the physical contact helping ground him. Mutsu said nothing else, just keeping up the support and watching him with caution as his breathing gradually slowed to normal.

“Sakamoto-san, are you alright?” The informant asked gently, and Tatsuma, albeit still blinking out of his daze, looked over at her concerned, puzzled expression. After a second of giving her a blank look as he worked to collect himself, he made what he thought was a reassuring smile and gave a slight nod.

“Don’t worry,” he answered, though he couldn’t stop his voice from noticeably shaking. The dread in his stomach still remained, and his weak smile dropped easily as he gazed up in front of him, again trying to take in the scene. He felt Mutsu’s grip tighten on his arm. It wasn’t going to happen again, he wanted to insist to her, but her contact did help calm his nerves nevertheless.

The guards had gotten all of the prisoners onto their knees. The shaky ones continued to quiver in terror, and even some of the brave ones were starting to look anxious, their composure cracking. The crowd itself shuddered. Some people were holding tightly onto each other—to reassure…or to hold back. These prisoners were, no doubt, friends or family to some, if not all, of the spectators. The bile was rising in the back of Tatsuma’s throat again. Mutsu moved her hand from his arm to touch his clenched, trembling fist.

“I’m sorry,” she uttered, her usual monotone breaking apart into something softer. She knew, of course—she was one of the very few that he’d told. “Look away,” she coaxed. “It’ll be over quickly.”

Tatsuma shut his eyes for a moment. A small part of him wanted Mutsu’s words to be true, but the majority wanted none of this to happen at all. The needless slaughter of innocent souls was one of the very few things he despised. He’d witnessed enough of that on his home planet alone. And even though he had already known what he was walking into with this business operation, even though he had prepared himself…

A loud clang made everyone jump, and Tatsuma’s eyes flew open. One of the guards had stepped forward and dropped the butt of his stick against the metal platform to get everyone’s attention. “Kneel,” he growled, glaring at the crowd.

It was shocking to say the least when everyone instantly dropped like flies. The informant did the same, tugging urgently on Tatsuma’s right arm as she went down. Mutsu had it covered, wrapping as much of her arm as she could around his broad shoulders and taking him down with her using a sudden burst of strength. Tatsuma face-planted onto the brick ground, letting out a faint grunt.

A different kind of sound could be heard upon the platform—Tatsuma wanted to raise his head to look but the moment he tried, the informant reached over and pushed his head down again. He huffed out a sigh and reluctantly conceded. The sound continued. It was a kind of electronic buzzing, like the white noise of a television set.

“Presenting the shogun,” the same guard spoke loud and clear, “his majesty, Hitotsubashi Nobunobu.”

Sneakily, Tatsuma turned his head without raising it, straining to angle his field of vision. With this method, he could still only see just above the platform, but it was enough to catch sight of a pair of transparent legs. A hologram, he presumed, feeling a little bit disappointed though he honestly didn’t know what else he’d expected. And as he relaxed, looking back towards the ground, a new amplified voice spoke.

“My _loyal_ subjects. Today, we are here to cleanse this nation of these barbaric terrorists. These individuals dared to defy my rule. Hooligans, rebels, _assassins_ …here they all are, bending their knees in front of your very eyes. Raise your heads—I grant you permission to gaze upon their squirming, pathetic bodies one final time. Behold them; behold the consequences of their actions.”

Hesitantly, the citizens within the crowd obeyed, looking up one by one. Tatsuma was itching to follow their lead and though the informant was still holding his head down, he shook her hand off after the tense moments of no visual fed his anxious curiosity to a peak. She didn’t seem adamant on stopping him, fortunately, and he proceeded to raise his head for a quick look.

The hologram of the shogun stood with stiff posture—it was clear that it had been slightly enlarged from the real the deal, making him appear as the tallest upon the platform. The picture was tinted blue and there were no other colors upon the hologram, but the shape of the shogun’s features were as clear as day. He wore regal-looking clothes, and his complexion was like that of porcelain. Even though he wasn’t there in person, his eyes were oddly piercing, as if his stare broke through the barrier of technology. His hawk hairstyle was neatly groomed and gelled, not one strand out of place. And as Tatsuma studied the artificial man, a strange feeling suddenly struck him. Déjà vu? No…it was something a bit different. As his mind wandered towards this mystery, one of the guards had stepped up and began to read the names of the prisoners. After that was done, the shogun had turned to the prisoners and resumed his speech.

“…I am a generous ruler, of course,” Nobunobu was saying, looking from face to face. “I will allow some final words. Speak. The nation is listening.”

The girl from earlier who had been quivering in her spot, doing her best to hold back her sobs, was the first one to shakily open her mouth. “P-please…Shogun-sama, please, let me go! I-…I didn’t mean to…!”

The shogun gave a short huff, gazing at her. “It matters not your intentions, _girl_. You had disobeyed my laws, and so you will pay the price. This has been fact from the start.” He leaned slightly, looming over her. “I present to you this privilege to speak to the nation, and this is all that you have to say for yourself?” he said, his voice low and menacing. “Pathetic. Perhaps I will have you beheaded first, for trying my patience yet again.” The girl shrunk back.

“N-no, _please_ …”

“Nobunobu, you fiend!” The shogun stopped, turning his head towards the male prisoner who had spoken up. This man was one of the more composed, who had been subtly grinding his teeth at the shogun’s performance. Now, he was glaring daggers at the hologram, a fierce fire in his eyes. “You are nothing but a tyrant. There’s not one citizen left in this entire nation who supports you. Your pompous rule will be the end of this country!!”

The shogun raised his eyebrows, mild amusement on his face. “Is that so?” He turned to the crowd, raising his arms in a welcoming gesture. “Well? Does this man speak the truth? How many of you would oppose me then, hm? Now is your chance to confess.” When the crowd did nothing but shift uncomfortably, averting their eyes, a smug smirk grew on Nobunobu’s lips. “It seems that this gentleman is incorrect. It’s too bad—your blasphemous words meant nothing after all. So, who is next? We are all ears.”

As upsetting as this scene was supposed to be, and Tatsuma could feel Mutsu tense at his side in disgust, the Vault Hunter really couldn’t get himself to pay attention. What was this feeling, and why was it bugging him so much? He continued to stare at the shogun, stuck in his own world as he pondered. And then, after a while, it suddenly struck him. This beautiful country, the fortified castle, the “shitty asshole with his stupid-ass hawk hair”…at last, Tatsuma remembered—a story that he heard a long, long time ago.

And then, the Vault Hunter found himself screaming uncontrollably at the top of his lungs.

Every single head turned in his direction, bewildered looks everywhere as possibly everyone in the entire nation watched him rise to his feet as he continued to yell. The most stunned out of them all were his companions. The informant’s jaw had dropped, while Mutsu’s expression was a mix of great astonishment and exasperation. Tatsuma was oblivious to this all, just staring at the hologram and feeling a huge grin spread on his face. It was like he finally understood a really good joke that was told to him years ago, and he was unable to care about anything else in the world at that moment. He pointed at the shogun.

“ _You_!!” he exclaimed excitedly. “Yer that guy my boyfriend punched in the face!!”

A very, very thick hush fell upon the crowd. Almost everyone had become slack jawed at this point, including some of the prisoners. Mutsu buried her face in her hands. Nobunobu’s eyes were almost unnaturally wide as he stared right back at Tatsuma, a prominent vein having broken out on his temple. It felt as if time froze for that long moment, with no one moving a muscle. Then, Nobunobu’s expression suddenly morphed into one of unfathomable fury, and he seethed through his teeth.

“… _Vault Hunter._ ”

All hell broke loose. The three guards pushed forward, their guns pulled swiftly from their holsters, and open fired. Tatsuma’s stomach dropped and he instinctively acted, spreading out his arms and stretching himself out to try and take in every single shot. His shield ate the bullets, though he gritted his teeth at the stabbing pain that came with them. The crowd was in an uproar, everyone scattering, and Tatsuma prayed that no stray bullets had found their way into anyone else. To think they’d open fire upon a whole crowd of people…in a flash, he’d freed his own pistol from the holster at his thigh.

_Bang, bang, bang._

Three shots, and the three guards all collapsed instantly with a gurgle, blood spewing from their skulls. Tatsuma hopped up onto the edge of the fountain, holding his gun up in his metal fist and laughing like he’d lost his mind. “Run fer cover, everyone!! Ruuuun!!!” Mutsu roundhouse kicked him, and he let out a holler as he fell into the shallow water. He was grabbed by the scarf a second later, and Mutsu shoved her furious face into his.

“What the _fuck_ are ya doing?”

Tatsuma wasn’t affected by her rage, letting out another laugh. “Followin’ a new plan.” Mutsu narrowed her eyes dangerously.

“What _plan_? Gettin’ yerself killed?!”

The siren from earlier was sounding again, and the gate to the castle began to open. It drew the Yato’s attention, but Tatsuma didn’t have to look to know that more guards were on their way. He poked Mutsu’s cheek to get her to look back at him. “Mutsu. I’m bein’ serious—I’ve thought of a good plan.” His vice-captain wrinkled her nose.

“Doubtful,” she growled, but Tatsuma could tell she’d seen the confidence in his eyes.

“Just leave it to me, alright? Get back to the ship—I’ll contact ya later. Hurry!”

With a huff, Mutsu released him and stepped back. “My hunch was right after all,” she sighed. “The _minute_ ya opened yer mouth…”

“Thanks fer the support,” Tatsuma chuckled.

“They’re coming!” the informant, who had bravely stayed by their sides, warned from outside the border of the fountain. Mutsu nodded, climbing out of the water to join her.

“Keep yer head on yer shoulders,” were her last words to Tatsuma before she grabbed the informant and fled. Tatsuma smiled and climbed to his feet with a grunt. He shook the fountain water off of him and reloaded his gun with dexterous, experienced hands. It was time to go to work.

The shogun’s hologram had disappeared. Corpses of the three guards lay strewn upon the metal platform, and the prisoners were also there. They had taken action during the confusion—one had grabbed the key to their restraints from one of the guards’ bodies, and all of them were working together to free themselves. About half of them had gotten loose. Some of those few had hightailed out of there, while select individuals stayed to help the others. They wouldn’t be freed in time—the fresh swarm of guards was already upon them.

“Kill them!!” one of the armed men shouted. One prisoner, the man who had spoken up against the shogun earlier, pushed himself in front of the others to shield as many of them as possible from the incoming fire. But Tatsuma was already on the scene, jumping up onto the platform. Raising his gun arm, he emptied his magazine into the closest few guards, each and every bullet crippling its target. With his other arm, Tatsuma flung a grenade—one specially made by a certain friend—aimed at the middle of the bridge where the swarm was most dense. It exploded into a large cloud of smoke, and all guards caught within its influence immediately went limp, dropping everything as they lost consciousness.

Tatsuma let out a relieved huff, casually reloading his gun once again. Now _that_ was a close one. “Go on, I’ll handle this,” he assured to the people behind him. He didn’t have to say it twice—the remainder of the now completely separated prisoners hopped off of the platform, all running in different directions. Only the brave male prisoner hesitated for a moment, gazing at Tatsuma’s back.

“The rumors are true. You Vault Hunters are _completely_ out of your minds,” he muttered, and tore his eyes away. “…Many thanks.”

Once all potential casualties had safely vanished from view, Tatsuma took a deep breath and held his pistol with both hands. He pointed it in the direction of the castle gate and aimed down the sights, squinting through the clearing smoke. After a moment, silhouettes of the advancing reinforcements could be seen. Tatsuma adjusted his aim, calculating, before letting loose a couple more shots. The legs and the hands—he knew he had hit his targets when he heard yelling, watching some of the shadows fall over and others drop their weapons while cringing in pain.

The smoke was quickly fading now, however, and soon Tatsuma felt bullets whizzing past his ears, along with another painful jab or two as his shield absorbed the ones that hit. As these bullets grew increasingly accurate, he was forced to retreat from his vantage point before his shield shattered, jumping off of the execution platform and pressing his back against the side of it. He made his way to the edge of his cover. Peeking out towards the bridge, he had to resist laughing in surprise at just how many guards there were. Bullets showered his location and he pulled his head back quickly. The gunshots ceased, replaced by many running footfalls, and Tatsuma took a few deep breaths. At this rate, he couldn’t get a single shot out without getting nailed in the head. Chewing his lip, he wondered when his plan would come to fruition. They were all obviously shooting to kill right now, and that was _not_ what he wanted.

He edged his way to the other side of his cover. Once there, he stuck his metal right arm out and waved it. Immediately, bullets whizzed in its direction, some hitting it right on, though Tatsuma didn’t mind the lack of pain. “Hey!!” He yelled above the gunfire. “Heeeey!!”

They seemed to hear him as someone shouted, “Hold your fire!” and the sound of shots faded. Once there was silence, Tatsuma opened his mouth again.

“I surrender!” Another pause…then, someone else yelled a response.

“Go to hell, bandit!!”

The bursts of bullets immediately resumed and Tatsuma made a face, withdrawing his arm before they managed to shoot it clean off. _Yeesh_. It looked like he was going to have to do this the hard way. He frowned as he reloaded his gun (though something told him that it wouldn’t help him here anymore), actually feeling a pang of worry that his plan wasn’t going to work. No, no, of course it’d work! His plans were great! He shook the doubt out of his head and reached for another grenade. There was no way he could risk looking for where he’d throw it, so he closed his eyes and relied on his instinct. Activating it, he threw it behind him over the metal platform, and heard it clank against brick.

“Grenade!!” someone yelled, and that was followed by the sound of a smoke explosion. Trying his luck, Tatsuma got up and sprinted, aiming for better cover behind the fountain…when a shower of bullets blocked his path. With a yelp, he stumbled and ducked back into his original cover. It was no good—either they’d picked up on his tactics quickly, or there was just too many of them for his grenade to make a difference. Back pressed against cool metal, he took a few heavy breaths to calm his heart, wracking his brain for a plan B. As good as he was at negotiating and at handling a gun, battle strategy was never his strong suit. That part he’d always left to someone else…though it was no use thinking about that person now.

 _Think_ , he demanded at himself. Reaching to his belt, he produced his last grenade. There was _one_ gutsy move that he could think of—he really didn’t like it, but what other options were there? Assuming that nothing would come out of stalling, this was his only chance. And so he closed his eyes and waited, hearing the footsteps draw closer. Just when they turned the corner and someone began to yell, Tatsuma lifted the grenade, about to throw it down at his feet.

But then, there was a sudden buzz of white noise.

“WAIT, YOU FOOLS!!” Nobunobu’s voice boomed, startling everyone present. All of the guards immediately lowered their guns, staring wide eyed at the platform.

“Sh-Shogun-sama…?”

Wordlessly, Tatsuma dropped his grenade hand to his side and took a few steps forward, then turned around to gaze up at Nobunobu’s hologram. The shogun seemed slightly out of breath—he glanced briefly at the Vault Hunter before looking to all of his men, narrowing his eyes.

“…Bring him to me. _Alive_.”

With that, the hologram shut off yet again, and Tatsuma felt a huge wave of relief wash over him. _Just as planned_ …that was the only thought he could manage before someone clocked him on the back of the head, and everything went black.

 

The Vault Hunter came to with a low groan, and the first thing he noted was that whatever uncomfortable thing his head was resting on did no favors for his headache. His consciousness was drifting in and out with the pain, and he gingerly cracked open his eyes. The room was dim, thankfully, and he blinked up at the ceiling. Every time he closed his eyes, they stayed closed longer and longer as he began losing consciousness again.

But suddenly, his skin was burning all over—no, _freezing_ —and he opened his mouth to scream only to find himself with a mouthful of ice water. He choked and sputtered, his shoulders heaving as he hunched over to cough it all out. He couldn’t lean over any further, and finally realized that his arms were bound behind the backrest of the chair he was seated upon. It was made of metal and bolted to the ground, and Tatsuma saw that his ankles were also bound to the chair’s respective front legs.

Two guards stood on either side of him—one was setting down an empty bucket. Tatsuma looked to him, then shook some of the water out of his sopping hair. “Thanks,” he sighed with more sincerity than the average person would expect. He was honestly glad to be conscious, regardless of the situation. It was quite cold in the room, though, and being soaked to the bone with ice water on top of that wasn’t all that pleasant. Pretending not to shiver, he focused on his surroundings.

Besides the two guards, he could just make out several more bodies leaning along the walls. It was too dark to see how many for sure…though right after that observation, there was the sound of a switch being flipped, and a searing light was abruptly cast down on him. Well now, that was convenient, save for the fact that it was _too_ bright now. A moan of complaint was trapped in the Vault Hunter’s throat as he squinted with his eyes nearly closed. In that moment, he wished he’d brought a pair of sunglasses.

He could just make out a figure approaching from the doorway straight ahead. Although his vision was blurry at the moment, he had a hunch as to who that was. He made an inward smile—yes, this was turning out _exactly_ as he planned so far. Feigning a daze, he groaned and squirmed sluggishly against the chair, taking the chance to inconspicuously fiddle with the restraints on his wrists enough to slide his palms against each other.

Nobunobu was getting closer—Tatsuma’s eyes had adjusted well enough for him to realize this. Though he kept up the discombobulated façade, he bided his time. He had to admit, this guy looked a lot better in color—his skin was pale and just as smooth as his projection’s, and his green eyes had a peculiar gleam to them. Once the shogun stopped just a few paces away, Tatsuma suddenly jumped into action.

He grabbed his metal arm by the wrist and twisted at a particular angle—it disconnected from its socket easily with a resounding click. With his one arm now free, he rose quickly to his feet, reaching into his coat. The sound of several cocked guns all around him immediately followed, but they were too late to stop him…from presenting his business card and bowing deeply in the shogun’s direction.

“Sakamoto Tatsuma, captain of the Kaientai,” Tatsuma introduced himself, keeping his head humbly bowed. “Pleasure to make yer acquaintance!”

A long pause followed, and Tatsuma peeked up at Nobunobu after a moment to find him staring at the limp metal arm dangling from the Vault Hunter’s flesh arm, something akin to horror in his expression. He looked as if an actual organic arm had been torn off in front of his very eyes. Before either of them could speak, Tatsuma found himself roughly grabbed by several pairs of hands and wrestled back into his seat. Someone tore away his business card (safely waterproof and laminated, thanks to a few embarrassing business excursions in the past) and another guard wrenched his arm painfully against the back of the chair. A giggle escaped Tatsuma out of annoyance, and he looked at them with a faint docile smile and a furrowed brow.

“Hey, now! There’s no need fer all that!”

None of them listened, holding him down despite his lack of struggling. The guard handling his arms released the restraint around his metal arm—the prosthetic limb fell to the ground with a clunk—and chained Tatsuma’s one wrist securely to the chair itself. With him properly restrained again, the rest of the guards all lowered their guns and stepped back.

Nobunobu still looked unnerved, now staring at Tatsuma’s stump of a right arm. The Vault Hunter raised an eyebrow at him. “Never seen somethin’ like this before?” he asked, gesturing freely with his arm stub and making the shogun recoil with a whole new level of discomfort. A hand flew to Nobunobu’s mouth as if he was feeling sick, and he glared at Tatsuma.

“Disgusting,” he hissed.

“Hey, that ain’t nice,” Tatsuma pouted. “Ya can’t just _say_ somethin’ like that, y’know.”

Nobunobu narrowed his eyes. “You’re hideous,” he said flatly. Tatsuma shrugged.

“It’s just an arm.”

The shogun gave him a bewildered look, but quickly composed himself again. “Never mind… _that_ ,” he grunted, averting his eyes. He turned to the side and held out his hand, and a guard gave him the confiscated business card. His dark gaze scanned the text. “What is this?”

“My business info,” Tatsuma cheerily replied. “I came here to negotiate some deals with ya, Shogun-sama.”

“ _Deals_?” Nobunobu looked at him as if the Vault Hunter had started speaking gibberish. A hint of amusement shone in his eyes as he stashed the card in his coat and took another step forward. “And what made you think I would be willing to do business with you after all your brutal actions? No, even before that—what made you think I would do business with a filthy _Vault Hunter_?” He spat out the name with distaste. Tatsuma studied him with a raised eyebrow.

“My, my…did’ya have a bunch of run-ins, or did my boyfriend just make _that_ much of an impression on ya?” The shogun narrowed his eyes that seemingly glowed with a menacing light.

“…He did.”

Tatsuma blinked, then suddenly threw his head back and laughed. “Aah, that rowdy brat!” he giggled, shaking his head. “He really went as wild as he said he did, huh.” The shogun continued to glare, stone-faced.

“That savage man was, somehow, the sole person who had surpassed all the assassins that have ever sought after my head. Through all these years, the only one who’d managed to break through all of my security was him. And he was the only one who had been able to escape my wrath…until _you_ showed up.” Anger flashed through Nobunobu’s expression, his creased brow the only disturbance upon his porcelain complexion. “That Vault Hunter taught me just how _dangerous_ your kind can be. After today, it seems that that lesson truly meant something.” Tatsuma grinned.

“Ya flatter me, Shogun-sama. But don’t worry, I wouldn’t be able to break his record by a long shot. ‘Sides, I didn’t come here to cause ya trouble.” Nobunobu gave him an incredulous glare.

“You shot and killed _several_ of my guards,” he argued pointedly. The Vault Hunter shrugged.

“They were shootin’ at civilians. I did what I had to.”

“You insulted me to my face.”

“I did no such thing! All I did was state a fun fact.”

“You helped those prisoners escape their execution!”

Tatsuma paused. “Alright, I can’t argue against that one.”

“In short, you have caused me _quite_ a lot of trouble, _Sakamoto Tatsuma_.” Nobunobu was glowering, but then for some reason his expression grew calm—smug, even. He stared down at the Vault Hunter, crossing his arms behind his back. “Despite all of that, your appearance has given me a nice opportunity. Tell me, how important is your life…to Sakata Gintoki?”

Tatsuma frowned, his stare turning strangely aloof. The shogun smirked and turned to slowly pace the room.

“From what I have witnessed of him, that barbarian is surprisingly loyal…to a fault. If I ECHOcasted my capture of you to the universe, surely he’d answer. He’d come running, just like a dog when beckoned. Am I correct?” The Vault Hunter was silent, and Nobunobu chuckled darkly, a dangerous smirk on his lips. “At last, after all these years he eluded me, I can exact my vengeance. I was a mere prince when we had met, but now I am the _shogun_ —I have become the closest person to _God_.

“When that man shows his face, I will send every single member of my army after him. They will capture him and bring him here. And then, I will make him watch as I kill you. Slowly, painfully. And when I’m done with you, I’ll do the same to him. I’ll make him suffer for as long as it amuses me, and he will understand just how much his insolence had wronged me. He will learn the consequences of defying my rule!” His smirk had grown to a manic grin, and his eyes were wild with bloodlust. “Yes, he will not escape! Not this time!”

“…Sorry.”

Nobunobu blinked, slowly turning to look at the Vault Hunter. Tatsuma’s smile was empty.

“Hate to break it to ya, but that plan ain’t gonna work. Not unless ya have the power to bring him back from hell.”

The shogun froze, dropping his grin. “What did you just…?”

“Yer a couple years too late,” the Vault Hunter said gently, his expression emotionless. “That man…is already long gone.”

A tense silence covered the room, and Nobunobu’s open mouth twitched noiselessly. It seemed he needed a moment to find his voice again. “You…” With a flash of anger in his eyes, he suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Tatsuma by his scarf violently with both hands. “ _LIAR!!_ ” he snarled, barring his teeth in the Vault Hunter’s face. “You truly think I’d fall for that?! _Huh_?! You’re just saying that to protect him! If you insist on this charade, I’ll cut out your tongue!!”

Tatsuma was limp in the shogun’s grip as Nobunobu jostled him ferociously. When the shaking ceased, the shogun taking furious, heaving breaths, the Vault Hunter raised his head. His gaze was cold and devoid of life—so different from his silly demeanor just a minute ago—as he opened his mouth and spoke, slow and clear. “Do you really think I could lie about my grief? Shogun-sama.”

They stared into each other’s eyes, Nobunobu’s face twitching constantly, and Tatsuma’s expression as immobile as stone. The tension grew and grew with the blazing fury in the shogun’s eyes. His grip on Tatsuma’s scarf tightened, and he seemed ready to unleash his rage in some form or another.

But then, quite suddenly, the blaze in his eyes calmed to something more tranquil. Letting go of Tatsuma (though jostling him one last time in the process), Nobunobu resumed his calm composure, turning away from the Vault Hunter after one last glare and walking back towards the only door to the room. “Store away all confiscated items, and take him to the dungeon,” he spoke to the guards present. “He will be our _spotlight_ prisoner for next week’s execution. So make sure he lives until then, or you’ll pay for your mistakes with your own heads.”

All of the guards bowed low as the shogun made his leave, until the heavy door slammed shut behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

“Mutsu! Come in, Mutsu!” Tatsuma whispered into the small piece of metal in his palm. He’d had the little communication device stowed against the stump of his right arm, disguised among the metal pieces at the end that had held his prosthetic in place. The guards had stayed away from that arm like it housed the plague, which made it all the more convenient.

After a crackle of static, the woman’s voice could be heard. “What’s your status?” she questioned, matching his volume. Tatsuma grinned, leaning in closer.

“I’m in.”

“… _Really?_ ”

“Yep! I’m sittin’ in the dungeon right now!” There was a brief pause, and then Mutsu’s voice sounded further away from the receiver.

“Kaientai, prepare fer takeoff.”

Tatsuma blurted out a yell. “ _Wait, wait, Mutsuuuu!!_ I planned this, I swear!!”

“Yeah, fantastic. And I’m sure ya also planned your funeral that’s to follow, am I right?”

“Alright, now wait a second,” Tatsuma pouted at her sarcasm. “Before ya scorn me further, I’ve got a serious question fer ya.” Mutsu sighed.

“What?”

“Did ya install finger guns on my arm without my permission again?”

There was a pause. “Why do ya ask?” Mutsu asked slowly, sounding cautious. “Don’t tell me…did they get ya into _more_ trouble?”

“Nah, I just thought you’d admit it more easily in this situation.”

Mutsu made a noise that was something in between relief and annoyance. “You son of a—”

“They took it, though,” Tatsuma interrupted. “My arm.”

“…Ah.” Mutsu fell silent, and the Vault Hunter smiled. He could just sense all of the thoughts running through his vice-captain’s mind.

“I’m gonna need your help—y’know what to do.”

“Fine,” the woman sighed after another pause, but Tatsuma heard her real mood behind her feigned reluctance. “Although, if ya happen to get out of this alive—”

“ _When_ ,” Tatsuma corrected her, but she ignored him.

“—I expect you to give me some special privileges.”

“…I’m not lettin’ ya mod my arm into a rocket launcher,” Tatsuma said bluntly, “or anythin’ else wacky, fer that matter.”

“Tch, killjoy.”

“It hardly resembles an _arm_ at this point,” he argued. “No more moddin’!! And yer scrappin’ the finger guns once I get back!”

“I just can’t understand why ya always wanna throw away such a good opportunity.”

“I _like_ bein’ able to use my arm as an arm, thank you,” Tatsuma huffed. The sound of faint footsteps made him tense up, and he lowered his voice back to whispering. “Someone’s comin’.” Mutsu, in turn, instantly regained her own sense of urgency.

“Roger. Keep this line open.”

Tatsuma had just managed to push the device back into its hiding place when the door to the prison swung open. A stone-faced guard entered, carrying a tray with both hands. Tatsuma stood as he approached, and the guard avoided eye contact as he slid the tray through a slot on the cell bars. On top of it was something akin to a bowl of gruel—unappetizing, to say the least. As quickly as he came, the guard turned around to leave.

“Be sure to eat it all,” he said, and Tatsuma raised an eyebrow.

“What if I ain’t hungry?”

The guard turned his head a little. “Then we will have to force it down your throat.” With that he was gone, the heavy door slamming shut behind him.

After a pause, listening to the receding footsteps, Tatsuma exhaled through his nose and strode over to the bars. He reached for the tray with his right arm…and then remembered. Frowning to himself, he used his left hand instead, carefully lifting the tray from its slot. The bowl on top of it trembled dangerously as he attempted to keep the whole system balanced while walking back to the far wall where he’d been sitting. Once he’d safely set it down on the ground, he plopped down next to the tray and pulled the bowl of food into his lap. Ah, having just one arm again was a damn hassle after experiencing the luxury of a prosthetic, he thought as he picked up the spoon on the tray and poked at the gruel. Looking back, he had no idea how he survived his first year without it…

Speaking of which, he glanced around the room and stuck the spoon into the gruel before reaching for his hidden communication device again. “Clear,” he spoke into it, and heard Mutsu sigh.

“Well, they sound like they’re treatin’ ya well,” she said sarcastically.

“I’ll live,” Tatsuma giggled, “but also, I fergot to say; there ain’t any weakpoints here.”

“Ah. That’s a problem, now ain’t it?”

“Maybe. But not fer long.”

“How long do ya have?”

“The execution next week,” Tatsuma answered, and Mutsu gave a short hum.

“Thought so. Think you can pull it off?”

“Hahaha! Don’t ya worry—I’ve got it! I’ll leave the line open. Be sure to mute yerself.”

“Yeah, will do,” Mutsu said. “It’s risky to talk too much, so don’t try to chat with me ’less ya need to. I’ll be listenin’, anyway.”

“Got it. Guess I’ll talk to ya when this is all over?”

“Yeah…good luck, Captain.”

Tatsuma smiled. “Thanks, Mutsu.”

The line went dead and he tucked the device back into its hiding spot, probably for the last time in a while. He went back to poking at the “food” in his lap, the sound and scent of it making his nose scrunch up and mouth twist. He felt a bit queasy…but on the bright side, at least he wasn’t also on a ship getting motion sickness. The Kaientai had his taste buds spoiled for good food—this sudden shift in diet was difficult to accept, to put it mildly. But alas, it looked like he had to suck it up if he wanted to avert attention for a while.

Breathing only through his mouth, he pulled the spoon out and licked it clean before setting it aside. Then, he scooped up the bowl and lifted it to his lips. If only he had another hand to pinch his nose, he thought as he took a breath before gulping the contents down.

 

Before he’d gone to sleep, he’d scoured his cell one last time for any hints of weakness in the sturdy bricks, but found none yet again. This place was secure—airtight, even. Not a good place to be. There was no reason to worry though—one week was more than enough time. He’d pondered about a way to leave the room as he nodded off for the night.

To his surprise, though, an opportunity literally forced itself upon him the next morning. He awoke with a hard jolt as something clashed against his cell bars. The noise rang in his ears as he dazedly blinked the clouds in his vision away. As it cleared, the six guards standing outside his cell converged to three.

“Get up, bandit scum,” the one in the middle growled. “The shogun has summoned for you.” Tatsuma frowned but did as he was told, rising to his feet while wincing at his stiff back.

“Why?” he questioned, but none of them answered. Instead, the two guards on either side raised their guns in unison, pointing them toward the Vault Hunter.

“Hands—hand in the air,” the middle guard ordered. Only after Tatsuma carefully lifted his hand did he move to unlock the door, though the other two still kept their guns ready. The guard in the cell grabbed the Vault Hunter’s wrist and moved to pin it roughly against his back. He stayed standing behind Tatsuma to keep him restrained, and gave an impatient push to make him start walking.

Once they’d exited the cell, the other two guards moved over to flank the prisoner, standing almost uncomfortably close to him. And it only got more awkward as the bundle of people headed for the door—there, another guard was waiting, and joined the escort group by walking in front as they continued down the hall. Tatsuma eyed all of the guards sans the guy behind him. This was how they’d escorted him into the dungeon yesterday, too. It was so serious and uptight that Tatsuma had almost started laughing back then.

“Ain’t this a bit excessive, escortin’ an unarmed cripple like this?” he asked. The guard behind him twisted his arm further, making him flinch.

“We’re not taking any chances with you. We know your kind.”

…In other words, their wariness was Gintoki’s fault, huh. Tatsuma released a short sigh. Boy, he was going to give that guy an earful the day he’d join him in hell.

For the rest of the walk, he stayed quiet and obedient. He was pretty sure that if he so much as sneezed, the guards would have an excuse to bully him further. One rigid and awkward escort later, they arrived at the same interrogation room as the day before. None of the guards left Tatsuma’s side until after they’d all collectively held him down against the chair and made extra sure that he was completely restrained (the Vault Hunter pressed his lips together into a thin line at these ridiculous precautions, but again decided against complaining).

Once their work was done, the guards finally backed away, marching off in different directions toward the dark corners of the room. Tatsuma could still faintly make out their figures in the dim lighting, standing several paces away at attention. They really weren’t gonna leave him alone, huh? Well then, so be it. He didn’t actually mind that much, so long as they didn’t get in the way of this apparent meeting between the Vault Hunter and the shogun. And speaking of that, Tatsuma found his curiosity greatly piqued. What had the shogun summoned him for? It didn’t matter whether it was going to be good or bad—in fact, it was rather exciting either way. Tatsuma had just started trying to figure out a way to speak to the shogun again, and the potential opportunity had already gift-wrapped itself to him. What luck! He’d have to make the best out of this situation.

It wasn’t long before the door he was facing opened up, revealing a familiar silhouette. Tatsuma had a typical smile on his face as he watched the shogun—tailed by two additional guards—approach. Without a disorienting daze to hinder an observation of Nobunobu’s poise this time around, Tatsuma noted that the shogun sure had the ‘regal look’ down. The man’s head was held high with pride, and he strode forward with perfect posture, not a hair out of place. That intimidating gleam in his emerald eyes sealed the deal with his powerful image. He really looked like the guy in charge—a ruler with immense power that you wouldn’t dare mess with.

But an air of authority never stopped Tatsuma.

He waited for Nobunobu to halt a few steps away—his two escorting guards had broken away to stand by the door. “Mornin’, Shogun-sama,” the Vault Hunter greeted cheerily, keeping up his friendly smile. “Ready to do business with me?” The irritated twitch in Nobunobu’s brow at those words was immediately amusing.

“I thought I made it quite clear yesterday that I wasn’t interested,” the shogun glowered. Tatsuma shrugged.

“ _I_ thought ya could’ve changed yer mind, suddenly callin’ me out here like this.”

“Well then, allow me to make this perfectly clear for you—my answer to that question will forever be ‘ _no_ ’,” Nobunobu spat. “What would a lowly bandit like you know about business, anyway?” This made Tatsuma pout.

“I’ll have ya know, I grew up on Ame! Graduated at the top of my class, too.”

There was a pause—the shogun’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Pathetic. If you’re going to spout lies yet again, you could at least attempt to make them sound believable.”

“I ain’t lyin’! I’m tellin’ ya, I haven’t lied once! Yeesh, why doesn’t anyone ever believe a word I say?”

“I can name at least a handful of reasons,” Nobunobu sniffed. Although his hard glare showed no signs of wavering, there was a vague gleam of interest in his eyes. “However, if you _are_ telling anything close to the truth, then I must ask you this: if you were prestigious enough to make a living on Ame…what went horrifically wrong?"

“Now _that_ is a long story. If I were to tell ya about that, I’d say it’d take at least a novel’s length before we’d even get to the juicy bits.”

“No one is asking for a detailed autobiography.” The shogun took a step forward, looming over his prisoner, the light above him casting ominous shadows over his face as he narrowed his eyes. “Tell me the short answer.”

Tatsuma shrugged, not deterred in the slightest. “Vault Hunters found me,” he replied as ordered. There was a pause that followed—the shogun’s eyebrows rose subtly as he studied Tatsuma, and his expression looked as if it was chiseled out of stone. Finally, he took an elegant step back to his original position.

“…Sakata Gintoki?”

“Mm-hm—y’know, ya don’t have to say people’s full names all dramatically like that. Seems like such a mouthful!”

Nobunobu’s brow twitched again, but Tatsuma’s comment was promptly ignored as the shogun continued.  “I see. So you expect me to believe that that barbarian and his merry band kidnapped you—”

“Ahahaha! They didn’t kidnap me, I—”

“—and converted you to a mass-murderer just like them,” the shogun finished the sentence firmly, making it clear that he had no patience for interruptions. His look was cold, condescending, as he folded his arms behind his back. “In any case, whether you’re lying or telling the truth, the outcome is still the same. You must have enjoyed your lawless, maniacal adventures together. Setting fire to villages, plundering and pillaging the innocent, eating the corpses of children—”

“And punchin’ shoguns?” Tatsuma couldn’t resist the urge to blurt that out laughing. Nobunobu did stop at that, giving him the evil eye, and the Vault Hunter simply grinned back up at him. “I’m jokin’, I’m jokin’! We made sure never to do that again. ‘Less we had a real good escape plan.” The shogun held his unamused expression. Without looking away, he motioned to the side with his hand and a guard immediately marched up from the darkness. Before Tatsuma could pick up on the motive, rough fingers dug into his shoulder, and a hard blow to the stomach knocked the wind out of him. He doubled over when the guard let go, his body jolting as he coughed, and moved to clutch his throbbing stomach while once again forgetting that he didn’t have a right arm anymore.

“If you continue to interrupt me with something pointless,” declared the shogun, clear scorn in his voice, “we are going to have a problem.”

Tatsuma wheezed out a laugh as the pain and nausea started to subside, lifting his head up again to give a little apologetic smile. The guard that had punched him was long gone, disappeared back into the shadows. “Sorry, Shogun-sama. Won’t happen again.” Nobunobu looked blatantly doubtful, but at least his brow had relaxed again. He seemed rather pleased that that just happened.

“Anyway, I’ll get to the point,” he said, wiping his expression of everything but a faint glimmer of expectancy in his eyes. “Your time with that merry band came to an end, clearly. And since we last spoke, there has been a question hanging in the back of my mind that I’ve wanted to ask you.” Tatsuma frowned, staring at him curiously.

“And what…would that be?” he asked, still a bit short of breath.

Nobunobu’s gaze hardened, and his shifting on guard was so obvious, Tatsuma could feel the whole atmosphere in the room change without even trying to pick up on it. Wow, honestly, this guy was already one of the most transparent people he’d ever met. The shogun scrutinized the Vault Hunter who stared back unflinchingly with the same curious look.

“…How did he die?”

There was a pause. Tatsuma’s eyebrows shot up, but otherwise his expression had turned blank. Slowly, the corners of his mouth turned up, and his look morphed more into something of surprised amusement. Nobunobu narrowed his eyes, and opened his mouth to demand again before his prisoner cut him off with a low chuckle.

“Ya still think I’m lyin’ ‘bout that, huh?”

After another beat, the shogun cleared his throat with his composure regained. “Perhaps. Or perhaps I’m merely curious to learn of what happened to that dangerous man, who had once singlehandedly breached the walls of this castle.”

Tatsuma couldn’t help a loud burst of laughter—one that creased Nobunobu’s brow in irritation yet again. “Yeah, I guess he is pretty fascinatin’,” he giggled, giving the shogun something like a knowing look. “Don’t worry, ya ain’t alone. I know how it’s like to crush on that guy, too.” He swore he saw a vein pop up on Nobunobu’s forehead.

“Answer the question, Sakamoto Tatsuma,” the shogun growled impatiently. The Vault Hunter shrugged, gesturing with the stub of his right arm.

“I dunno if you’d believe me if I told ya. It was real dramatic-like, and ya seem like a real diehard skeptic…”

“I will listen, regardless. Now answer. You’ve wasted plenty of my time as is.”

“Well alright, if ya insist,” Tatsuma huffed. It wasn’t a very fond memory for him to recall, to put it lightly…which was why he decided not to, not noticing that he’d unintentionally averted his eyes. “Years ago, we were raidin’ a vault when things went…wrong. And he…he fell. Straight into the planet’s core. There’s nothin’ left of him…or of the planet, fer that matter. What a drama queen, right?” Though he tried to end that on a light note, accented with a faint laugh, his voice was all hollow—he could hear it clearly himself. Even now, with just a quick summary of it, the subject still cracked his usually well-built façade…mentally, he kicked himself. This wasn’t the time to get wrapped up in his thoughts. He could feel the shogun's piercing gaze and looked back up to resume eye contact without hesitation. Nobunobu was obviously studying him hard for any hint of a lie—a typical and predictable reaction.

“That’s all you have to say?” the shogun sniffed, and his skepticism was crystal clear. Tatsuma scoffed.

“ _Yer_ the one who said I was wastin’ your time so I trimmed the fat fer ya! Did ya expect hard evidence or somethin’? Like I said, there ain’t any.”

“How very convenient.”

“I think ya mean _in_ convenient,” Tatsuma sighed, “fer everyone involved here. I’ve got nothin’ else to plead my case with. But anyway, is there anythin’ ya wanted me to elaborate on? I thought ya said y'were curious.” The shogun seemed to ponder for a moment before opening his mouth again.

“What of your other accomplices?”

“Ah, yeah, those guys were there when it happened, too,” Tatsuma answered with raised eyebrows, not thinking of that until now. “We split up after that, though. Haven’t been keepin’ in contact much, so I don’t even know what they’ve been up to lately.” Once again, Nobunobu was studying him. The look was so obvious that it didn’t take a speck of effort for Tatsuma to stare back blankly. “Any other questions, Shogun-sama?” That creased brow returned, amusingly.

“You said that he fell. How?”

“Guess he slipped or somethin’.”

“You…’guess’?”

“Uh-huh. I wasn’t really payin’ attention ‘til it actually happened, so I’m guessin’ it was somethin’ like that. He’s quite the klutz sometimes, ahaha!”

Nobunobu clicked his tongue in annoyance, and his glowering intensified. “Don’t think that you can _toy_ with me, Sakamoto Tatsuma,” he hissed through his teeth. The Vault Hunter kept up his blank look, blinking innocently.

“Toyin’? I’m doin’ no such thing,” he replied with a bit of an edge, as if he’d taken offense to the accusation. Inwardly though, he was smiling at that frustrated face that was so easy to read and even easier to interpret. The shogun was irritated, angry, but also extremely confused. Which parts were lies? Which were the truth? It was clear that he couldn’t tell at all. And Tatsuma was determined to keep it that way—the Vault Hunter didn’t want to dwell on this topic. Nor did he think that either party could learn anything beneficial from talking about it. He was looking for an opening to turn the conversation around. Nobunobu’s searching eyes had grown increasingly agitated.

“You are lying,” he stated with a low growl of a voice, “about everything, I suspect. We will advance nowhere like this.”

“I agree! With the advancin’ nowhere part, I mean,” Tatsuma clarified quickly. “I guarantee ya, whatever info yer tryin’ to get outta me about this ain’t gonna be useful. I swear, though, I’m tellin’ the truth! What will it take fer you to believe me?”

“Nothing. Because I cannot find myself ever believing you.”

“Why not?”

Nobunobu didn’t answer that, instead just giving a heated sigh. “Sakata Gintoki must be alive,” he muttered, mostly to himself with his eyes downcast. But he looked back at Tatsuma with that sharp stare that could kill, and spoke at a normal volume. “When you speak of him, it’s clear that you think that.”

This actually made Tatsuma pause—his mouth opened, but he had no words ready. Blinking rapidly, confusion clouded his mind. “It…is?” was all he could manage. The shogun seemed a little smug now, with his chin tilted up.

“Your slip of the tongue doesn’t elude me. Saying that he _is_ this and that, as if you know that he is still of this world. Did you think that a mere poker face was enough to trick anyone?”

Tatsuma wasn’t paying attention, piecing this revelation together himself. He’d never noticed this habit of his. Whenever he mentioned Gintoki, did he really…? No one ever pointed it out until now; not once. Did they fail to notice it? No…most likely, they didn’t want to tell him, out of respect. They’d just kept their mouths shut and listened to him ramble on about his boyfriend—not his dead _ex_ -boyfriend, just _his boyfriend_ and the things he _does_ , and how he _is_ —blissfully unaware, as the uncomfortable atmosphere flew right over his head. He must’ve sounded so pathetic to everyone, especially after he’d sworn that he moved on; that he’d recovered. And he _had_. Of course he had, after so long. But out of force of habit, he…

“Well?” Nobunobu’s demanding voice snapped him back to reality. The shogun had his arms crossed against his chest, tapping his fingers restlessly against his arm. “What do you have to say for yourself, Vault Hunter?” Tatsuma could only stare for a long moment, having lost his train of thought after letting it wander. He struggled to form any words. When none came with the next few seconds, he went with what he did best.

He threw his head back and laughed, as loud as he could. Until it felt real—until he felt he could believe in it. And when he looked back with a smile on his face at the bewildered shogun in front of him, he was himself again.

“Wow, thanks fer pointin’ that out to me, Shogun-sama,” he said with honest sincerity, “and sorry fer the confusion. Looks like I’ve just been soundin’ like a delusional fool ‘round everyone all these years. That’s pretty embarrassin’, ahaha! But no, fer sure, that guy’s dead as a doornail. Sucks fer everyone, I know, but that’s the cold, hard truth.” Nobunobu narrowed his eyes.

“So long as you continue to insist this, we will not progress at all.”

“Whadaya want me to do—lie? I couldn’t do such a dishonorable thing to the great shogun, even if ya ordered it.”

Nobunobu didn’t seem the least bit amused—Tatsuma was tempted to tell him that if he kept his eyebrows scrunched like that, he’d end up with an ugly wrinkle right in the middle of his flawless face. But before either of them could speak again, a new guard entered the room, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Shogun-sama,” he greeted, stopping a few feet away and kneeling into a deep bow.

“Yes, what is it?” The shogun’s back had turned to the Vault Hunter. His tone was impatient. Lifting his head, the guard threw a quick glance at the prisoner before rising humbly to his feet. He spoke quietly to the shogun, his words unintelligible, and then backed away with another quick bow. Nobunobu let out an irritated sigh. He swiveled gracefully back to Tatsuma, his arms folded neatly behind his back again and his face as smooth as a statue’s. “It seems we’ve wasted enough time on this. There are other matters I must attend to.”

Tatsuma’s heart fell, though he made sure not to let anything show in his expression. Oh drat, was he too relaxed? This opportunity was suddenly slipping away, fast. “Aw, that’s a shame. I was havin’ such a nice time with this little chat,” he laughed. Inwardly, he calmed himself—it was fine, he still had a whole lot of time. And besides, it was clear that Nobunobu would want to speak with him again. Tatsuma had information that he wanted—or so it was assumed. And from what the Vault Hunter had witnessed thus far, the shogun absolutely adored being petty.

Nobunobu just scoffed. From the little twitch in his expression, it was clear that he was suppressing another annoyed retort. He turned to the door. “Take him back to his cell.”

From the corners of his eyes, Tatsuma saw all the guards in the shadows bow in unison. The four who’d escorted him into the room in the first place strode into the light, and Tatsuma couldn’t help but groan. Oh boy, it was time for that uncomfortably excessive journey again.


End file.
